Have problems with chipped nail polish? Shellac those nails!

At first I thought, hmm I want to post about this, but it has nothing to do with law practice management. And then I realized, actually it does, it has to do with time saving. And time saving is part of law practice management. That’s my rationalization and I’m sticking with it.

So, men, you can look away. Women, let’s talk.

A lot of women get their nails manicured. I am hardly known for my fashion sense, but I try to get my nails done as frequently as I can. I like having neat nails, but my nails break and I am terrible at doing my own manicures or putting on polish.

The problem is, after a manicure, the polish is often chipped by the time I get to the car. This frustrates me. When I get a manicure I hate sitting there waiting for the polish to dry, knowing it will be ruined by the time I get home or within a day. I frequently just tell the manicurist to put on a clear coat. I also don’t get manicures as often as I should because it seems a bit pointless.

I have had tips put on, but the process takes forever and can harm the nail beds. Also, I don’t really like how tips feel and I live a bit of a rough and tumble life for fake nails. Despite these issues, out of frustration for my unsightly nails, I tried to get tips put on a few months ago. The manicurist did a wonderful job. My nails looked fabulous and the polish stayed on!  Alas, I seem to have developed an allergy to the products involved. Well, damn. I was very disappointed as I soaked my fingers in acetone to remove the now painful nail tips. Back to the occasional manicure and unsightly fingers I went.

Well, I went back to my manicurist yesterday, after not having been for quite a while, and she informed me of a new product (introduced late last year) that would solve my problem. The product is called Shellac nail polish. It is supposed to last for up to three weeks. THREE WEEKS!

I was a bit skeptical, but it didn’t cost much more to try it, so I figured what the heck. Meanwhile, the woman right next to me started singing its praises. She told me she has been using shellac polish for months, even going to the beach for a week a few days after the polish was put on. Not a chip! I became much more hopeful.

The positives

1. Essentially, the polish is supposed to last for up to three weeks. Since the time between manicures is generally two to three weeks this is a good amount of time.
2. The polish is completely dry by the time you leave. No worrying about messing up your nails while driving away.
3. Your nails are protected during the time the polish is on, so your nails will grow better between manicures.
4. Could possibly save money in the long run due to decreasing the number of manicures
5. Decreases over all time spent at the nail salon.

The Negatives

1. You will have to choose from a limited number of colors (however many your manicurist chooses to stock.)
2. You supposedly cannot do this at home because it requires special equipment to get the polish to set. I do see it for sale though.
3. It is apparently difficult to take off at home. (Be prepared with a bottle of acetone.)
4. It costs more than a traditional manicure (about $10-$15 more here, probably a lot more in a major city)
5. Is not good for nails that flake a lot
6. Who knows if there are safety issues just yet. But then again, if you get a lot of manicures or tips, you are generally exposing yourself to the same risks.

My results so far?

So how have I done with my first day of Shellac polish? Well, within two hours of having my nails done I:
1. Fiddled around with my car keys, wallet, and cell phone
2. Went to a farmer’s market to pick out produce
3. Typed a lot
4. Took my dog to the dog park and got my hands muddy, rocky, and very messy
5. Played fetch with a dirty, yucky tennis ball, a dirty, yucky stick, and a bunch of dirty, messy dogs
6. Scrubbed my hands clean
7. Scrubbed some potatoes for dinner
8. Typed a lot more

And not one scratch. My nails still look perfect and shiny. So, if you have the same nail problems that I endure, and would like to try something new, consider trying out Shellac polish. It might just help.

Looking for more information? Here are some more details from a woman in the know.

 

Update Reaction: I have had the polish on for 5 days and it looks perfect. Unfortunately, I seem to be having a reaction to it.

When I had my reaction to tips it took about a day for small, painful bumps to appear on my fingers. I waited a bit to remove the tips resulting in a seriously painful and ugly problem.  With Shellac the same thing happened again, each finger developed small, painful bumps where the finger meets the nail.

My reaction doesn’t mean Shellac won’t work for you, I just have a sensitivity to both tips and Shellac. Most people are probably fine.

Removal: Removal went smoothly. I just soaked my nails in 100% acetone and gently scraped off the layers with a wood tool (while under the acetone.) My nails seem undamaged by the process. It took about 15 minutes per hand.

 

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